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Africana Masterclass: A West African Feast

with Lerato Umah-Shaylor

£145
Friday 17th
April 2026
11:00-14:30
(3.5hrs)
Divertimenti
Knightsbridge

IMPORTANT
If you are ordering for more than 1 person or purchasing as a gift, please leave their name and email address in the order notes section of the checkout.

Join acclaimed author and chef Lerato Umah-Shaylor as you embark on an unforgettable journey through the vibrant flavours of West Africa. From the bustling streets of Lagos to the coast of Senegal, the vibrant streets of Ghana and beyond, this hands-on masterclass celebrates the rich culinary traditions of the region. You will leave with Lerato’s joyous recipes, and tips and tricks to perfect the infamous Jollof and much more. 

 

Under Lerato’s expert guidance, you’ll learn to craft authentic, flavour-packed dishes bursting with colour, aroma, and culture. Inspired by her cookbook Africana and travels across Africa, each recipe is infused with her signature approach: fragrant spices, thoughtful age old and modern techniques, and the stories behind generations of cherished cooking.  

 

Expect an immersive experience that is as much about culture and storytelling as it is about exceptional food, a feast for the senses, designed to inspire both your palate and your cooking at home. You will enjoy a spice masterclass with a goody bag of spices and more surprises to take home with you 

 

After your hands-on cooking session, enjoy the dishes you’ve prepared together in Divertimenti’s elegant surroundings, accompanied by a glass of wine or soft drink, the perfect way to celebrate a morning of discovery and culinary creativity. 

 

Menu: 

  • Snacks on arrival: Plantain Chips, Smoked yoghurt, Smoky Tomato & Date Jam  

  • Senegalese Jollof - Chebu Jen with Spring Vegetables 
    A fragrant, deeply satisfying rice dish with rich layers of flavour inspired by Senegal’s coastal traditions.

  • Poulet Yassa - Sunshine in a Bowl 
    Tender chicken marinated in a citrus and onion sauce, slow-cooked to create a dish that perfectly balances zest, spice, and comfort.

  • Kelewele - Spiced Roasted Plantains 
    Ghanaian-style plantains tossed in an enchanting spice blend and roasted to caramelised perfection. 

  • Spiced Puff Puff with Hibiscus Ice cream  
    Light, golden, and aromatic West African doughnuts with a subtle hint of spice served with a refreshing Hibiscus Ice cream for the perfect end to your feast.


    Vegans and vegetarians are welcome. 

    Dietary information: This class is adaptable for vegan or vegetarian diets but this must be specified when booking. For any other allergies or dietary requirements, please contact us to discuss before booking.

      

  • What’s included:
  • Refreshments on arrival and available throughout the class
  • Apron and all of the equipment required
  • A recipe pack for you to take home after your class
  • All ingredients provided and weighed out in advance for you
  • Lunch of your own making to enjoy together as a class accompanied by a glass of wine or soft refreshments
  • 10% discount on purchases made in store on the day of your class, including cookery classes. Excludes books, food, electrical items, gift vouchers and sale items
  • We do all the washing up!
  •  

Lerato Umah-Shaylor

Lerato is a leading voice in contemporary African cuisine. She is a best selling author, presenter who has taught cookery for almost a decade. Her debut cookbook, AFRICANA (HQ, HarperCollins, 2022), became a bestselling and award-winning celebration of bold flavours, heritage recipes, and modern twists on African classics. With high praise from Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Ainsley Harriott and many more. 

A panellist on BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet, Lerato shares her vibrant, seasonal recipes with millions through television, national publications, and her immersive cookery classes across the UK. Her work celebrates flavours from across the African continent, inspiring home cooks to enjoy bold flavours, rich culture and the joy of African cuisine in their own homes.  

You will be learning in a beautifully designed kitchen which provides a warm welcoming environment that can accommodate everything from group cookery classes to intimate chef’s tables, with the versatility to suit everyone.

Our partners have been chosen with great care, as all our equipment must stand up to the day-to-day rigours of our cookery school – much like a professional kitchen, that you can enjoy using whilst creating your own amazing dishes in class to give you the best possible experience when cooking with us.

Our classes and outstanding range of teachers will help you hone your gastronomic skills, even if you are a complete novice or a dab hand in the kitchen. We love highlighting new upcoming food trends and championing the rising stars within the culinary world.

To learn more about the Harvey Jones Linear Range please visit here

Divertimenti does everything it can to reduce the risk of any students consuming an allergen that could cause and allergic reaction.

Please call the school to discuss any severe food allergies prior to booking a class online, we must speak to you before you visit the school if you have a severe allergy or severe dietary intolerance.

We will become as flexible as possible, where we can to remove a specific ingredient from a student’s recipe we will but we are unable to remove that ingredient for every student attending.

We handle all types of ingredients in the kitchen at Divertimenti and we are not able to completely allergen free environment, our kitchen is multi-purpose therefore this makes our kitchen unsuitable for those with life- threatening allergies, in such cases as these we would suggest getting in touch with the team to arrange a private lesson in your own home with one of our chefs. Please contact us for more information

In the unlikely event you are unable to the class you have booked for and need to cancel your booking, for a full refund we will require your cancellation via email no less than 7 days.

Once we have received your cancellation, we will arrange a booking onto an alternative class date or a full refund, sadly we are unable to make changes to bookings or offer a refund with less than 7 days of the date of your class but we are happy to switch the names on the booking so a family member or friend can take the place.

Divertimenti reserves the right to cancel any demonstration or class or substitute another presenter at any time, in the unfortunate event that a ‘Personality’ present or chef cannot attend a session you will be offered the choice of an appropriate alternative or a full refund.

Attendees must be aged over 18 to attend an adult class - we have a list of suitable young adult and teenage classes suitable for under 18’s – they must be accompanied by an adult.



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